Three years after an ideological split over teaching evolution pushed the Texas State Board of Education into an unflattering national spotlight, Tuesday's election suggested the new board may face similar battles over the next few years.

All 15 seats were up for grabs because of redistricting, and only eight incumbents were on the ballot.

But if the board's partisan makeup shifts, it will do so only slightly. It currently is made up of 11 Republicans and four Democrats.

Incumbent Republican Carlos "Charlie" Garza lost to Democrat Martha Dominguez for the District 1 seat in far West Texas, and the District 2 seat in South Texas remained unsettled early Wednesday. Depending on the outcome, the board will have four or five Democratic members.

A core of social conservatives will retain clout, although not necessarily a majority.

"Things are not going to change a whole lot as far as the balance of power," said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values.

The board will adopt new science textbooks in 2013, and social studies textbooks in 2014. It also manages the $26 billion Permanent School Fund.

While Saenz saw the board's continued conservative makeup as a good thing, Dan Quinn of the Texas Freedom Network predicted the science textbook adoptions will be "very divisive."

"That's the big culture war battle you see in many states," Quinn said.

Board Chairwoman Barbara Cargill, a Republican from The Woodlands who beat Democrat Dexter Smith of Friendswood, said she doesn't expect a replay of the controversies that inspired the documentary, "The Revisionaries," which examined the battles over teaching evolution and the content of the history curriculum.

"I think the dynamics on the board are different," Cargill said. "We've learned from the past. I think it's going to go much more smoothly."

In the District 6 race to replace Terri Leo, Republican Donna Bahorich of Houston won over three challengers: Democrat Traci Jensen of Houston, Libertarian Gene Clark of Odell and Green Party candidate GC Molison of Houston.

Bahorich, who previously worked for Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick, has said she's a social conservative but will consider each issue separately.